Time And Time Again
by FrozenInsideTheWinter
Summary: This is a story I wrote a couple years back when I first started writing fanfiction. :) I remember trying to make this my first real emotional story. Regina thinks about her life is the prompt I gave myself. (THREESHOT)
1. Chapter 1: Broken Chains

_**Note: I dont know why but the song Payphone gave me the idea. I really do think this is my best chapter. I hope you like it! :)**_

Regina filled out continuous paperwork as the day went on, feeling like one of the longest along with the neverending phonecalls and city problems. When the clock finally ticked six, she was only too eager to be precisely on time to get home to Henry. She gathered up her things and strided out the door of her office, nodding farewell to her assistent. Unknown to her knowledge, the golden chain with a ring hanging low around her neck was damaged, and fell to the floor with a silent 'cling' as Regina spotted Emma coming around the town hall corner .

Emma, unfortunately, met her in the hallway, crossing her arms with a annoyed look on her face. Damn it, what did she want now?

"Regina," Emma started angirly when they knew they were alone, "Why did you do it?"

Regina really didn't have a clue as to what she did to make the Sherriff aggitated with her recently, unless Emma's brain was functioning correctly (for once) and found out about her frame job. (Which was going marvlously thank you very much).

"I don't know what you're reffering to Miss Swan, and I must get back to Henry, unless you _want_ to deprive him of his dinner," she said crossly, narrowing her eyes. The almost comical glare Emma sent her way was so enraged it was almost enough to make her laugh.

"Just answer me, why did you frame Mary Margaret?"

Regina stared at her with no intrest in the conversation whatsoever. She had, in fact, framed Mary Margaret, but thats something she would never admit, as Mary herself had acknowledged. No matter, this was getting out of hand.

"Sherriff why do you insist on blaming everything on me? Just because my position in this town is merely commanding, does not mean I'm evil." The words that fell from her lips were barely above a whisper.

"You are, according to Henry."

"Oh, so now you believe in his irrillogical fairytale nonsense?" Regina said disgustedly, her calm presence leaving. She was anxious to leave, before this turned into much more than a banter for both of them.

"I never said that, but right now I dont know what believe,"

Regina stifled a sigh as Emma smirked. By the gods she just wanted to punch that smirk off the blond's face.

"If your done Miss Swan, I should remind you that I'm the Mayor of this town, and that you work under me. So, I suggest you stop picking arguements and handle your side of the Miss Blanchard case as if it weren't irrelevent," Regina snapped. Before Emma could say anything more, The Town Mayor was click-clacking down the hall with a small smile spread accross her lips.

Emma shook her head in frustration before she spotted something shiny at the entrance of Regina's office. She slowly walked to it as she got an eyeful of warning from Regina's assistent while she talked to someone on the phone. Squatting down to peer at a worn bronze ring on a broken gold chain, she picked it up and felt the cool, smooth surfaces slithering and sliding against her palms.

She noticed a mysterious small carving of text on the inside of the ring.

_Regina + Daniel Forever_


	2. Chapter 2: Attempts

"Henry! Im home!" Regina called as she set her purse and jacket down at her desk in the study. She quickly came back out to start  
dinner. When he didnt answer, she went up to his bedroom inwardly raging, curious to see if he had snuck out with Emma or something of the sort. She creaked the door open, and saw him on the bed reading an _Incredible Hulk_ comic book. She was unable to hide the warmth in her eyes when he looked up and pursed his lips together in an almost smile.

Unfortunatly, Regina got the hint after a good five seconds that Henry had most definitly been out with Emma when she saw a walkie-talkie halfway peeking out from under his bed. Her blood boiled with so much fury she wanted to scream, shatter everything she could see into teeny tiny pieces.

All she could bring herself to do though, was tear her gaze away as quickly as possible, force as sweet a fake smile as she could manage, and back out of the room. Yelling at Henry would not solve their problems, as she hard learned the hard way.

She should have known.

She went as fast as she could down the stairs in high heels, wanting to forget everything. She started making her pasta before calling Henry down. Henry came running down the steps to the table once he smelled the meal she hardly ever cooked.

"Henry! What did I tell you about running?!" she scolded before her eyes warmed again, all earlier events fading from her mind at the sight of his small face. "Sorry," he mumbled as she set a plate infront of him. He immediatly took the fork off the napkin and took the biggest bite Regina had ever seen. She was glad she had managed to please him with a meal though, as pleasing him at all was difficult these days.

She sighed softly and settled down in a seat accross from him. She took a bite of her portion before breaking a rather awkward silence.

"So Henry, how was school today?" Henry stopped in mid-chew at the question. His mom _never_ asked how school was. When he didn't answer Regina looked down at her plate and after a few seconds took another bite. "It was fine," was all Henry muttered with his mouthful.

After dinner, all Regina could think about was the walkie-talkie... which led to the curse... and then her love being ripped away by Snow _again _by her giving Henry that wretched book. Emma coming into town, Henry clinging to her like she was a lifeline and Regina was the ocean trying to drown him. _Oh how they will pay..._


	3. Chapter 3: Distant

Regina woke the next morning, or should she say the next 3:31 _AM _with the sound of thunder and rain. She quietly slipped. from the satin sheets of her warm bed and saw the rain pouring outside in the still-dark sky. It really couldn't be a more beautiful sight.

She lost time of how long she had been watching the rain splatter accross the sidewalks and slide down the buildings. She didn't even bother to look at the clock before her fascination of raindrops gave in.  
In her long blue night-gown did she silently slide out the door into the cold, rumbling rain. She had never seen it rain so hard in her entire life, but the thought just brightened her. She had always loved the rain, the way she was drawn to it.

Her hair and nightdress were already seeped through within almost 30 seconds of simply standing there, her mind going blank. For once she didn't worry about colds, something would happen to Henry if she was out too long, or that paranoid feeling that someone was always watching her. She was simply at peace of mind.

She strided in bare feet to her beloved appletree, running her hand down the familiar rough bark. She remembered when her father had given her this tree at the age of 5, becuase he thought her mother could help her take care of it, to help their relationship. But she feared her mother, hated her. So for years in the back yard Regina had managed to keep Cora from touching it as best she could, to save the tree from the chain of her mother's harsh memory.

She sat down under it on the soft, rain-glittered grass, feeling the angry droplets of the sky hammering through the soft leaves and shiny red apples of her tree. If anyone else saw her doing this, sitting under an appletree in the pouring rain at almost 4:00 in the morning, they would say she was crazy, but she knew she was anything but.

She thought about how precious this tree was. Her tree. It held all of her secrets, all of the memories she wanted to share with no one. It surprised her that she could think about this with no anger, sadness, pain, or guilt, just memories. Bad or Good.

She thought about Daniel, for... it seemed like forever. She remembered the pain, the cruelnessof it all, but didn't feel it. She felt happy... _content_ as she took in the comfort the rain and tree provided her in her thoughts as she lead her head to rest against the damp bark. She remembered, vivedly...

Most of all though, she remembered all of the times she had been betrayed, but with an almost victorious smile as she hoped that she would win one day, that she could feel like _this _time and time again.

_fin_


End file.
